Untitled (For Now)
by TryxterWolfe
Summary: A Klaroline moment, on the porch, after the Forwood goodbye. (AN: Just a little snippet that ran through my head, after watching the latest episode. Thought I'd try it out, and see if it was good enough to make into a full story. Not yet decided if to just leave it rated T or going for the full M. Oh, and I have no beta, I just threw this together 10 minutes ago. No G-Nazi's, plz!)


"All for you, Caroline."

Was it really all for me? Was this man in front of me announcing war within himself, just for my sake? Just because I asked him to? Did I really have that much power over him?

Tyler was long gone, by now. At the airport, probably boarding a plane and escaping to only God-knows-where. Certainly a place I didn't have any knowledge of. Hell, I didn't have any knowledge of any place, other than here, in this hell of a town and its messed-up and broken inhabitants. This small, pin-prick of a place that was my whole world. And now, Tyler wasn't even a part of my world, anymore. He was gone. And, there was a small, mourning voice inside of me that whispered that it was perminant, this time. There was no longer a reason for him to come back.

Closing my eyes, I pushed down the fresh wave of tears. My instincts were dulled from the pain tearing me from the inside-out. Instincts that were supposed to be shrieking at me to keep my eyes on the monster. Don't let him catch you with your defenses down. He'll hurt you. He'll worm his way inside. He'll take me over without a second thought or hesitation.

But my mind was fuzzy from grief. My body felt cold for the first time in a long time. I actually felt like the corpse I should have been, that day Katherine smothered me in my hospital bed. I could have laughed at how long ago that felt, like it was a completely different life. A completely different time.

I heard a huff of breath, then the scrape of a shoe as he began to turn away.

"D-don't..." I choked out around the lump in my throat.

Silence. He had stopped walking.

"Don't... leave..."

I knew I should feel disgusted with myself for this small plea. I should be horrified, guilty, covercome with revultion. But everything was still dulled. Everything was smoothed over, like a river stone. Nothing stabbed at me, nothing pierced me. All I felt was the cold, deep well that was opened in my chest. I needed something, anything, to keep from falling inside. I would have turned to Elena. Bonnie. Stefan. Matt. Hell, I'd even turn to Damon, even though he didn't have a consoling bone in his body. But no one was here. Especially Tyler.

The only being here was the man standing with me on this porch. And I was weak enough that I would greedily take his company over being left alone to sink away into the dark.

"Caroline," he murmured, almost like a warning. Maybe a protest. I couldn't tell. I could hardly understand. All I knew was I was in pain. So, so much pain.

Opening my eyes, I stared at the wood of the porch, only catching sight of his shoes. Taking slow, purposeful steps, I kept moving until I was close enough to reach my arms up toward him. I didn't even need to touch him to feel his warmth. It was a stark contrast to the chill that had set into me.

Resting my hands on his shoulder, I drew them sluggishly and clumbsily along until they touched just below his neck. I pressed myself against his stiff frame, molding myself to him. I held my breath, trying to stay the sobs that were scratching and clawing up my throat. But nothing could stop the tears that began to flow, splashing down and wetting the exposed skin of his neck and darkening the fabric of his jacket.

His chest rose and fell underneath mine, slow and purposeful. I listened to his heartbeat, a steady and speedy thrum that danced in tune with the pulse in his throat. It beat next to my ear, and I let it lull me like a nursery song. It was all I could concentrate on, all I wanted to aknowledge. Everything else was forced to be quiet. All of the pain, all of the anger, all of the devistation. All muted.

All there was, was this.

Hands pressed lightly, then firmly to my back. One slid up into my hair, stroking the back of my neck in time with his breath. I finally gave in and took one of my own, drawing air inside to my lungs. I didn't need to breathe, but my body demanded in. I gave in, knowing it knew what I needed more than I did. After all, it was more concerned with survival than I was.

Tightening my arms, I drank in more of his warmth. It was helping to keep the darkness at bay. As long as I could feel warm, I was safe. I would stay whole. I could keep living, even when my entire being screamed for the darkness.

Turning my face from his shoulder, I pressed my forehead to his throat. Yes, more warmth. I'd take it all, if I could find a way.

I felt him swallow, his soothing strokes stilling. When I felt his embrace slipping, and his warmth pulling away, panic rushed me, choking me like I was suddenly drowning.

"No!" I gasped, but he had successfully stripped me from him. He held me at arm's length, his head hanging slightly as he stared at me with a forced, cold gaze. His grip was so tight that my arms ached.

"I don't appreciate being-"

"I don't give a damn what you appreciate!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "You broke everything I loved! You've destroyed everything, and you don't even care what you've done! You owe me, Klaus! You owe me!" Tears were streaking down, again, and now the sobs were uncontrolable. I gripped his forearms to stay on my feet, my nails digging into his jacket. My knees were giving out from the weight that was coming, pressing me toward the dark, cold well yawning open wider inside me.

"You... owe... me!" I choked out every word, but they were slurred from my cries of pain.

A growl ripped the air around me, followed by a strained, "Dammit!"

I was spun around so fast that the wind lifted my hair and splashing it across my face. The siding slammed into my back, the initially sharp pain dulling as warmth pressed to my front. The numbness his embrace brought was like a ringing sigh of relief. His hands were gripping my waist, holding me tightly to him. His lips crashed to mine, chasing the rest of the cold away as his heat poured into me. I welcomed it openly, wrapping my arms around his neck to secure him to me.


End file.
